...on teaching choirs
#1
Posted 25 June 2012 - 11:51 PM
Now is the time to select music for next year's choir.
I teach a private choir outside of my regular teaching job, and it's part of a larger organization of three full choirs, young, middle level and high school. I teach the young choir. For those of you familiar with children's choirs, we base our literature and choral tone on the Toronto Children's Chorus, a la Benjamin Britten, etc. etc. etc.
Well, each summer I spend hours developing a concert program for the coming year that's both challenging for the students and stimulating for me - which can be a difficult task when some of the children are just reading full text on a page.
Last year one of our challenge pieces was Nine Hundred Miles by Silvey. It was a stretch harmonically since it divides into 4 parts and they shocked me by being able to pull of parts of the song I was a bit hesitant about. It's amazing how hard a choir can work when they thoroughly appreciate the beauty of a piece and its compositional structure.
I started a solfege class today with my co workers in the choir and we had GREAT conversation on what we'd like to include in our December concert. I was thoroughly pleased with the fact that they were in line with my thinking it was time for highlighting some children's choir/adult choir music from films/(books)!
So here's our start - if you have an idea to contribute, I'd be glad to throw it on the table:
Young Choir
Somewhere in My Memory (HA)
The Road Goes Ever On (by Pradell)
Middle Choir
Double Trouble (HP)
Young & Middle Combined
In Dreams (LOTR)
High School Choir
May it Be (LOTR)
Something for All the Choir's Combined?
I'll probably also add Good King Wenceslas for my choir
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#2
Posted 26 June 2012 - 03:34 AM
#3
Posted 26 June 2012 - 03:38 AM
#4
Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:05 AM
(that was the a cappella version)
I don't know how challenging the french would be though.
And for high schools, Dry Your Tears Afrika is always a favourite (although arguably overplayed):
Music Muse Reviews: "Escape From Tomorrow by Abel Korzeniowski
#5
Posted 26 June 2012 - 05:01 AM
#6
Posted 26 June 2012 - 05:16 AM
If you put John Williams in a dryer, you get Jerry Goldsmith! You get the downside version!
#7
Posted 26 June 2012 - 07:31 AM
Will look through the other things in a bit
Im familiar with Dry Your Tears but not The Omen
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#8
Posted 26 June 2012 - 09:19 AM

Human aggression is instinctual. Humans have not evolved any ritualised aggression-inhibiting mechanisms to ensure the survival of the species. For this reason man is considered a very dangerous animal.
-- Konrad Lorenz
#9
Posted 26 June 2012 - 09:35 AM
Rutter's Mass of the Children is a wondrous piece, both to perform and to listen to.
;-) did it two years ago......
Love the Benedictus.
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#10
Posted 26 June 2012 - 09:38 AM
Peter Schindler - Missa in Jazz

Human aggression is instinctual. Humans have not evolved any ritualised aggression-inhibiting mechanisms to ensure the survival of the species. For this reason man is considered a very dangerous animal.
-- Konrad Lorenz
#11
Posted 26 June 2012 - 09:44 AM
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#12
Posted 26 June 2012 - 12:16 PM
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#13
Posted 26 June 2012 - 12:42 PM
Last year one of our challenge pieces was Nine Hundred Miles by Silvey.
Have you thought about the 'shorter' Proclaimers version?
#14
Posted 26 June 2012 - 12:59 PM
Exultate Justi or Dry Your Tears, Afrika? I think the former, more than the latter, if the combined group is the last group up.
or
An easied up version of Hallelujah Chorus or something else from the Messiah?
#15
Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:31 PM
If you put John Williams in a dryer, you get Jerry Goldsmith! You get the downside version!
#16
Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:37 PM
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#17
Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:40 PM
Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
I think he meant from Empire of the Sun
If you put John Williams in a dryer, you get Jerry Goldsmith! You get the downside version!
#18
Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:47 PM
Nice. It's beautiful heartwarming stuff.oh yeah I've programmed Les Choristes many times. Gorgeous stuff. It's sort of a rite of passage for my groups to do Les Choristes music they ask for it every year. I have In Memoriam pulled for grade 8.
Will look through the other things in a bit
Im familiar with Dry Your Tears but not The Omen
He was joking (I hope), but if you really want your choir to go through with it, you're pretty much exercising devil worship my friend
Unfortunately, I've come to know all the lyrics by heart....does that make me a bad person?
And one question, are you getting your high school band or something to accompany your choir?
Music Muse Reviews: "Escape From Tomorrow by Abel Korzeniowski
#19
Posted 26 June 2012 - 05:22 PM
If you put John Williams in a dryer, you get Jerry Goldsmith! You get the downside version!
#20
Posted 26 June 2012 - 05:22 PM
#21
Posted 26 June 2012 - 05:41 PM
#22
Posted 26 June 2012 - 06:17 PM

Human aggression is instinctual. Humans have not evolved any ritualised aggression-inhibiting mechanisms to ensure the survival of the species. For this reason man is considered a very dangerous animal.
-- Konrad Lorenz
#23
Posted 26 June 2012 - 06:45 PM
Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.
#24
Posted 26 June 2012 - 07:35 PM
Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?
Thanks, will look after I get home...
Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.
Will look when I get home!
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#25
Posted 26 June 2012 - 07:36 PM
#26
Posted 26 June 2012 - 07:48 PM
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#27
Posted 26 June 2012 - 07:51 PM
#28
Posted 26 June 2012 - 08:28 PM
I'll just listen
Just play this instead:
You probably already know the piece well anyway.
(I've just realised the original version I linked to was a stupid spoof reenactment thingy)
#29
Posted 26 June 2012 - 09:55 PM
Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?
Thanks, will look after I get home...
Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.
Will look when I get home!
It also has a part for djembe that you can get one of your kids to play. Pretty easy and, if you don't have a djembe, you can just do it on a snare drum with the snares turned off and played with hands instead of sticks.
#30
Posted 26 June 2012 - 11:29 PM
#31
Posted 27 June 2012 - 12:53 AM
This should't be too hard...
Couldn't load it. Copying it now from the HTML quotes. Nope wouldn't load.
Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?
Thanks, will look after I get home...
Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.
Will look when I get home!
It also has a part for djembe that you can get one of your kids to play. Pretty easy and, if you don't have a djembe, you can just do it on a snare drum with the snares turned off and played with hands instead of sticks.
We gots djembes!
I'll just listen
Just play this instead:
You probably already know the piece well anyway.
(I've just realised the original version I linked to was a stupid spoof reenactment thingy)
Just listened to this. This is a great piece for solfege. Wouldn't do it on concert with my choir but will write this out for warmups!
Here are three random filmic suggestions from European composers: non nobis, Domine from Henry V (Patrick Doyle), libera me from Black Robe (Georges Delerue) and Here's To You from Sacco and Vanzetti (Ennio Morricone). I actually prefer the version of the latter with French lyrics.
Non nobis is a keeper
Libera me is good will check with others. Here's to you not so much ....
Here's a great piece by a young Slovenian composer I've performed with several youth choirs already, the last performance being only yesterday!
I like this. Could you tell me a bit more about it? Its not from a film right?
You've got to include this!
YES BLOOD. I'm transcribing it now. All the choruses want it but obviously the boys whose voices have dropped get it!
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#32
Posted 27 June 2012 - 07:44 AM
#33
Posted 27 June 2012 - 07:54 AM
You've got to include this!
Too bad it doesn't have the low voices at the beginning.
#34
Posted 27 June 2012 - 09:25 AM
Will you have to license this stuff or do schools not have to?
Uhhhhhhh no ;-). If we were cutting a CD to sell en masse definitely
You've got to include this!
Too bad it doesn't have the low voices at the beginning.
Our choirs would never be able to do the low low stuff. It's absurd. ;-)
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#35
Posted 27 June 2012 - 11:04 AM
Will you have to license this stuff or do schools not have to?
Uhhhhhhh no ;-). If we were cutting a CD to sell en masse definitely
You totally need to record a CD!
#36
Posted 27 June 2012 - 11:39 AM
Seriously BB. This is my aspiration. One day I will be famous ;-)
We will have a Cd and I can share with you guys it's just not available for the world you know?
And you can ask me questions for an "interview"
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
#37
Posted 27 June 2012 - 12:33 PM
@Wojo: stop being facetious.
#39
Posted 27 June 2012 - 12:46 PM
"Honorary member?" Good God, BB, this is your QUEEN!
She may be a queen, but within JWFAN High Council, she's just an honorary member.
Within the council, you play by the rules, or the rules rule you out!
#40
Posted 27 June 2012 - 02:33 PM
BB. You've been here since 2010?
~Renovia
Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here. ~ Albus Dumbledore
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